


The Woman of His Dreams

by Dreamin



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Avengers Tower, F/M, I managed to combine the two, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 10:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21178142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Stephen never believed in prophetic dreams, until he saw Darcy Lewis in one of them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BeautifullyObsessed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautifullyObsessed/gifts), [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).

> This was inspired by, among other things, [this photo](https://thcartierrug.tumblr.com/post/188016633995/anisazzzz) on Tumblr.

  


Banner By [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake)

There was one aspect of being a Master of the Mystic Arts that Stephen had a hard time accepting – prophetic dreams. Wong and the other masters told him repeatedly that he needed to study his dreams closely to determine if they were prophetic so he would have time to prepare.

Stephen rolled his eyes as he dutifully typed out the latest dream on his laptop. _Yeah, studying night terrors about everything I’ve been through, the general weird stuff that most dreams are, and the rare dream that **might** be prophetic but probably isn’t is a really good way to spend my time. I write them up when they happen but I’m not going to psychoanalyze them just for the slightest chance of an advantage. I just hope Wong never reads these – the sex dreams, despite their increasing frequency, aren’t revealing anything more than it’s been way too long since I had a date._

A year after the final defeat of Thanos, mystical attacks on Earth were even more frequent than before the Snap, leaving Stephen less free time than ever, and less energy to pursue romantic attachments.

_This one wasn’t a sex dream, thank God. Maybe it’s prophetic, but I doubt it._ In the dream, he had been walking down Bleecker Street, away from the Sanctum Sanctorum, in pursuit of a woman. She had enough of a head start that he couldn’t make out her features until he got closer. Walking behind her, all he could see were dark brown hair hanging down her back, a black coat, and a bouquet of a dozen white hydrangeas in her arms. Despite not recognizing the woman in his waking hours, his dream self had been madly in love with her.

Stephen stopped mid-sentence to stare at the screen. _I loved her. I have no idea who she is but I loved her._ He groaned quietly. _It’s official, I’ve been alone too long. This dream isn’t prophetic, it’s just pathetic._ He finished typing up the description then saved it and closed his laptop. A glance at his alarm clock told him he had just enough time to shower and dress before the meeting.

After the deaths of Vision, Natasha, Tony, and Steve, the remaining Avengers decided that the best way to honor their friends was to keep the team together. To that end, Pepper Stark rebuilt Avengers Tower and remodeled it as the living and training space her late husband had planned back in 2012. With only a few exceptions, the entire team and their families moved in.

Stephen was one of the exceptions. Officially made an Avenger by a unanimous vote, he still placed his duty to protect the Sanctum Sanctorum above everything else. The rest of the team knew how to reach him if there was a mission and he always attended the weekly meetings.

Sling ring in hand, he conjured a portal to the conference room (affectionately dubbed the War Room), then walked through. Normally, the room was empty when he arrived but this time, there was a woman he didn’t recognize setting up the refreshment table. She turned at the sound of his portal and Stephen was awestruck.

_She’s like a classic Hollywood starlet, with the fullest lips I’ve ever seen and curves that don’t stop. Who is she?_

The drop-dead gorgeous woman grinned at him. “You must be Doctor Strange.”

That got his mouth working again. “What gave me away?” he asked, smiling a bit.

“The portal,” she said, still grinning as she gestured to the open portal behind him. “It certainly wasn’t your outfit.”

Stephen closed the portal then looked down at himself – blue jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a black cardigan. They were his most comfortable clothes besides his uniform. He chuckled. “Take away the Cloak of Levitation and I’m just an ordinary guy underneath.”

She smirked. “Yeah, somehow I doubt that.” She moved closer. “Darcy Lewis. I’d shake hands but I heard about your accident.”

He smiled gratefully. “Right, no hand-shaking for me. Stephen Strange, MD, Ph.D, PITA.”

Darcy giggled. “Good one, I’ll have to remember that.”

“Thanks.” A memory of Thor talking about the new arrivals to the Tower came to mind. “You’re Jane Foster’s assistant.”

“Yep. We just moved in a couple of days ago. Thor told us about the team meetings, I thought it would be nice if you guys had something good to munch on.”

There were three boxes of assorted donuts, a large basket of homemade muffins, two Keurigs, a revolving stand of assorted k-cups, two pitchers of orange juice, a pitcher of ice water, cups, plates, and napkins. It was a definite upgrade from the usual plain coffee and cookies.

Stephen chuckled. “You’re spoiling us but no one will complain, least of all me,” he said as he headed for the refreshment table. “Are you going to be here for the meeting?”

“I would, but my clearance only goes so high,” she said, holding up a hand to the height of her shoulder. “Your clearance must be this tall,” she raised her hand to a height above her head, “to enter an Avengers meeting.”

He grinned as he grabbed a chocolate-covered donut and a blueberry muffin. “Right. Well, stick around long enough and I’m sure your clearance level will rise.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling a bit, “but then so will the headaches. I’m happy where I am, Doc.” She paused. “Do you mind if I call you Doc?”

“It’s better than Dopey,” he said, smiling a bit. _I’d prefer it if she called me Stephen, but we’ll get there._

Darcy giggled. “I don’t know why Thor said you’re too serious, I think you’re hilarious.”

He grinned. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

It wasn’t until Darcy had finished setting up and was leaving the War Room that Stephen saw her back. Realization smacked into him as hard as anything Dormammu had thrown at him.

_Darcy’s the woman from my dream. Maybe it wasn’t so pathetic after all. But what did it mean?_


	2. Chapter 2

“You won’t believe who I just met,” Darcy declared, grinning, as she walked into Jane’s new lab.

Jane didn’t bother looking up from her notebook as she scribbled equations. “We’re living in a building with the highest concentration of superheroes on the planet. The answer could be anything from a talking raccoon to the king of Wakanda.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “The Guardians and the Wakandans only visit, they don’t live here. And the guy I’m talking about only visits too.”

Jane looked up, curious. “A man who’s not a Guardian of the Galaxy and not from Wakanda but doesn’t live here? Who is it?”

“Doctor Strange.”

Her boss nodded then went back to her notes. “I haven’t met him yet but Thor speaks highly of him.”

“Thor speaks highly of everyone,” Darcy said approvingly as she flopped into her chair. “But in this case, I have to agree with him. Funny, smart, sexy as hell.”

Jane chuckled. “I didn’t know you were into older men.”

“He can’t be that much older. And besides, he was one of the people who got dusted and I wasn’t, so that takes five years off the age gap.”

“Right.” She paused, smiling a bit. “That gray hair at his temples does make him look very distinguished.”

Darcy grinned. “Damn straight.”

“So, are you going to ask him out?”

“He’s totally out of my league.”

That got Jane to look up. “You know the whole concept of ‘leagues’ when it comes to dating is nonsense, right?”

“Easy for you to say,” Darcy muttered. “You’re the world’s foremost astrophysicist and you’re dating Asgardian royalty. I’m just a lab monkey with a crush on a neurosurgeon-turned-sorcerer.”

“A crush already,” Jane said, smiling a bit. “That was fast, you just met him.”

“I, um, may have been following him,” she said quickly as she felt her cheeks warm. “On the news, I mean, not on social media. I don’t think he’s on social media. And I may have been looking up old articles about him.”

“Breathe, Darcy.”

Darcy obediently stopped long enough to take a breath. “But I’m not obsessed with him or anything.”

Jane smiled a bit. “Uh huh.”

“And it’s not like I’ll see him again anytime soon.”

“You could – even if he doesn’t live here, Manhattan isn’t that big of an island.”

“Right.” She settled down and got to work.

It was at the end of their usual workday that Jane spoke up. “There’s a book I need, _The Writings of Callippus_.”

Darcy raised an eyebrow. “Something tells me I’m not headed for the nearest Barnes & Noble.”

“Since it’s been out of print for over a century, no.”

“So…”

Jane smiled a bit. “Thor said Doctor Strange has a pretty extensive library.”

Darcy beamed. “Jane, you’re a genius!”

She smirked. “I know.”

* * *

Darcy stood on the sidewalk outside the Sanctum Sanctorum and just … stared. The brownstone mansion was gorgeous and there was, for lack of a better term, a good vibe coming from it. She climbed the front steps then took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

It was opened a moment later by a man she recognized from news footage as Wong. She smiled nervously. “Um, hi. You must be Wong. I’m Darcy Lewis. Is Dr. Strange here?”

Wong smirked. “Follow me.” He led the way through the impressive foyer then up the stairs and down the hallway before stopping in front of a door, grinning. “After you.”

Darcy smiled back then opened the door to what it turned out was a comfortable sitting room. Stephen sat at the couch, wearing his blue uniform.

She paused to admire the view._ Damn, he looks good._

“If that was the Girl Scouts, I hope you ordered enough Thin Mints,” Stephen said then he took a sip of what Darcy assumed was tea.

“No Thin Mints,” Darcy declared as she approached the couch, “but I hope I’m sweet enough to make up for it.” She sat down next to him, grinning.

Stephen stared at her, his cheeks turning faintly pink. “Darcy, hi. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Hi. Jane needs this old book for her research, _The Writings of Callippus_. She thought you might have a copy.”

“I do, actually.”

Wong sat down in a nearby chair, smirking. “Stephen was just talking about you.”

Darcy grinned at Stephen. “Oh yeah?”

Stephen blushed brighter. “Um, yeah.” He gave Wong a pointed look. “Don’t you have something to do at Kamar-Taj?”

“Not particularly.”

“Wong…”

Wong raised an eyebrow. “If you need me out of your hair, Strange, just say so.”

“I need you out of my hair.”

Wong chuckled as he got up and left.

“Is he always like that?” Darcy asked, amused.

“Only when he really wants to annoy me,” Stephen muttered. “So, _The Writings of Callippus_?”

“Yeah. Jane’s trying to prove or disprove ancient astronomers’ more obscure theories, as she puts it.”

“Sounds interesting.” He stood up then gestured towards the door. “After you. First door on the left.”

She got up then left the sitting room, Stephen right behind her. As soon as she walked into the library, she stopped dead in awe. “It’s just like the library from _Beauty and the Beast_!”

He chuckled, the sound pleasantly running down her spine and making her shiver deliciously. “I think every reader has the same dream library in mind.”

Darcy turned to face him, grinning. “If I had this library, I’d never leave it.”

He grinned back. “You’re welcome to come over anytime.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that, Doc. So, where do you keep the long-dead astronomers?”

Stephen chuckled again. “Over here.” He led the way to one of the shelves built into the wall then reached for a book on a shelf out of Darcy’s reach. “_The Writings of Callippus_, my lady,” he said, grinning, as he held out the leather-bound book to her with both hands.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Darcy said, grinning back as she accepted the book. Her fingers brushed his and he let out a soft gasp. “I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?”

“It’s fine,” he assured her quickly, his hands slowly closing. “It didn’t hurt.”

“It must’ve been a shock to the system, then,” Darcy said sympathetically. “You probably don’t have many people touching your hands.”

“You’re right,” he muttered, looking down at his hands. “I sometimes wear gloves.”

“That makes sense.” She slipped the book into her messenger bag then smiled at him. “Well, thank you for this. I know Jane will appreciate it.”

He nodded. “Tell her not to worry about returning it anytime soon, there isn’t a lot of demand for ancient astronomers.”

“Right,” she said, smiling. “Have a good night, Doc.”

“Darcy…” He trailed off helplessly.

“Yeah?”

“Let me walk you out.” He walked beside her to the front door and Darcy noticed he kept his fists clenched the entire time.

_His hands must really hurt, poor guy._

“Enjoy your evening, Darcy.”

“I will.” The entire cab ride back to Avengers Tower, all she could think of was Stephen’s scarred but beautiful hands. _I have to be more careful next time._


	3. Chapter 3

Even hours after Darcy had left, Stephen swore he could still feel her touch. The actual contact had been brief, far too brief, but echoes of it ran through his nervous system like aftershocks after an earthquake, though much more pleasant. He knew what being touch-starved meant in a clinical sense but never until that moment did he consider himself to be suffering from a lack of physical contact.

The moment her fingers brushed against his played over and over again in his head. He tried to distract himself with reading, TV, the internet, anything, but nothing worked for long. It was worse when he went to bed that night – every time he closed his eyes, he relived the moment. He kept clenching his hands, imagining the sensation of her fingers against his once more.

_I’m a mess…_ Giving up on rest, he got out of bed and pulled on his robe over his t-shirt and pajama pants, not bothering to tie the belt then he grabbed his laptop then headed for the library.

_The scene of the crime._ Flopping onto the leather couch, he then turned on his laptop and, out of habit, went straight to his email. One in particular caught his eye – the subject line was **Hey, Doc. **He clicked on it, grinning.

**I hope you don’t mind, I got your email address from Thor. (Why he has it, I have no idea, he doesn’t even have an email account.) I’m sorry about today. I didn’t mean to hurt you.**

**Darcy**

Stephen slowly typed out his response.** You didn’t hurt me, Darcy. What I felt when you touched me was more of shock to the system, but not an unpleasant one. **He took a deep breath before he typed out his confession. **It’s been a long time since someone touched my hands, or any part of me, for that matter. Feeling your fingers on mine was overwhelming, but not in a bad way. **He hit Send and prayed she was still online – having her respond immediately was suddenly very important.

Instead of an email, her response came as an instant message. **You’re touch-starved? Why didn’t you say so? **

Stephen couldn’t help a chuckle. **I didn’t realize it until today.**

**Doc, I’m like the cuddliest person on the planet. Once I’m comfortable with someone, I’m a big hugger. **

_What is she suggesting?_ **So, you’re saying what, exactly?**

**I’m saying that you just have to say the word and I’m at your place anytime, day or night, emergency hugs at the ready.**

He stared at the screen. _She’s offering unlimited, unconditional hugs?_ He wanted so badly to take her up on her offer but he didn’t want to take advantage of her generosity. **It would be a great help to me but what would you get out of it?**

**Helping a friend. I mean, we are friends, right?**

Shoving down his sudden disappointment, he typed out his response. **Yes, of course.**

**And I’m currently going through a dry spell in my love life, so I could use some contact myself.**

The disappointment changed to elation. **When can you come over?**

**Anytime. If I’m not working, I’ve got basically no demands on my time. And if you need a hug while I’m working, I’m sure Jane can spare me for an hour or two.**

Stephen’s fingers hovered over the keys as he weighed telling her what he wanted then he decided to just go for it. **Now? **He sent the message then held his breath.

Her response was almost instantaneous. **You’re on, Doc. :) Just set up a portal and I’m there.**

He didn’t bother to hold back his grin.** I need to picture a place in my mind in order to make a portal. Can you send me a photo of your living room?**

**Sure. **A few minutes later, she sent him a photo of a spacious living room with a very comfortable-looking overstuffed couch, a matching chair, a coffee table, and several moving boxes**. You’ll have to excuse the boxes, I’m still unpacking.**

**It’s fine. **Stephen got up from the couch, pulled his sling ring out of the pocket of his robe then put it on and concentrated on Darcy’s living room as he formed the portal.

She grinned at him through the portal, delighted. “You did it!” She stepped through the portal and tried not to look surprised when it closed behind her.

Stephen chuckled. “It wasn’t difficult, but it’ll get easier each time. Thank you for this, Darcy.”

“You’re welcome, Doc.”

“Um, if it’s alright with you, I’d prefer it if you called me Stephen.”

She grinned. “Stephen it is.”

“Thank you.”

Even though it was only late October, the city was experiencing a winter-like cold snap and Darcy was dressed in appropriately warm winter pajamas and slippers. The pants had cartoon coffee cups all over them and the top was a solid hot pink.

“Cute pjs,” he said, grinning.

Darcy grinned back, blushing a bit. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. So, um…”

“Where do you want me?”

_There’s a loaded question._ His undeniable attraction to Darcy coupled with the need for touch were taking over his brain. Stephen tried to get a hold of himself but it was no use – his nervous system was thrumming in anticipation of the touching to come. His hormones weren’t any better. _I feel like a teenager about to make-out with his crush._ He nervously ran a hand through his hair. “Um, wherever is most comfortable for you.”

She assessed him. “Your bed would probably be the best place, in case you fall asleep.”

_Unlikely but I’m not about to turn her down._ “That works.” He led her to his bedroom, thankful that he wasn’t in the habit of leaving dirty clothes lying around.

Darcy stepped into the room and giggled. “How’d I guess you have a canopy bed?”

Stephen chuckled as he followed her. “Being a sorcerer means being a little over-the-top.”

“Just a little?” she asked, grinning, as she approached the massive wooden canopy bed, the detailed carvings making it look like it was left over from the Renaissance. She slowly ran her hand over one smooth curve.

Stephen suppressed a shiver. “Well, maybe more than a little.” He took off his robe then hung it on the hook on the door.

“Uh huh. So, left or right?”

“Pardon?”

“Which side of the bed do you prefer?”

“Oh, left.” He walked around to the other side of the bed and got in as she got in on the right. He laid his head on the pillow after she did.

Darcy turned onto her side to face him, smiling gently. “We gotta lay down some ground rules first.”

“Okay,” he said slowly, curious as to what she meant.

“You can touch me anywhere that wouldn’t be covered by a bikini. No mouths involved.”

“Understood,” he said, relaxing. _I can do this._ “Um, you can touch me anywhere that wouldn’t be covered by swim trunks, but you’ll have to be careful with my hands.”

Darcy nodded then reached out to gently take his hand in both of hers. To Stephen, it felt like an electric shock, but one of pure pleasure. She lightly held his wrist with one hand while the index finger of the other lightly traced the scars from the operations.

“I read about your accident,” she murmured, her eyes on his hand. “Do your hands still hurt?”

“All the time,” he admitted softly, “except when I’m using magic. No pain, no trembling then. I’d say it’s a relief but I’m usually too busy concentrating on the magic to notice much of anything else.”

She looked up at him. “What about your sense of touch?”

“I’m one of the lucky ones. Most people who have nerve damage to this extent have to deal with numbness. Instead, my hands are even more sensitive.”

Her finger stopped tracing but she didn’t let go of his wrist. “Am I hurting you?”

“God, no,” he said, and it came out a lot more breathless than he would’ve liked. _To hell with dignity._ “Honestly, it feels … unbelievably good.”

“Like a starving man at a feast?”

“More like a man who has never known beauty seeing the _Mona Lisa_ for the first time.”

Darcy nodded, though she looked unimpressed. “I’ve been to the Louvre, she’s not that pretty.”

Stephen chuckled. “_Girl With A Pearl Earring_?”

She grinned. “Much better.” After a moment, she brought his hand to her forearm. “Feel how soft my pjs are.”

The material was indeed soft, softer than anything he’d felt in a long time. “It reminds me of a stuffed animal.”

Darcy giggled. “That’s me, your plushie.”

She scooted closer and he instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist. Her hand came up to trace his beard and he leaned into her touch, drowning in her soft gaze.

_I’m in so much trouble._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays to my readers, especially BeautifullyObsessed and afteriwake!

Darcy had never seen a man so open emotionally as Stephen was being with her. One moment, she was joking around and the next, he was looking at her like a lover would and it was doing bad, bad things to her heart. _The last thing I need right now is to think there’s a chance something could happen between us. We’re just friends._

Her heart, though, was not listening, and her hormones were following its lead. They decided to take her mouth along for the ride. “Were you always this gorgeous?” she blurted.

Before she could take it back, Stephen chuckled softly. “Thank you.” He slowly ran his hand up her back, over her pajama top, making her shiver. “Um, I was considered odd-looking until my twenties. Losing the remains of baby fat in my face made my cheekbones more prominent and apparently, that tied my features together.”

Her thumb brushed over one cheekbone and she murmured, “I have to agree.”

His eyes closed at her touch and he whispered roughly, “Darcy…” His hand stopped stroking her back. “This was a bad idea,” he said quietly.

“We’re just touching,” she murmured, trying to assure him. “We already established boundaries.”

Stephen looked at her, his eyes pained. “You don’t get it. I’m so touch-starved that even the lightest contact and I **ache** for you.”

_Oh. Oh!_ “Um, we should stop, then.”

“We should, but I don’t know if I can.” He pressed his forehead to hers, sighing quietly. “I’m sorry. I’m so attracted to you, Darcy. If we continue this, I know I’ll want to move too fast.”

“Is that so wrong?” she murmured. “If we both want it, I mean?”

“You deserve more than that.”

_He picked an odd time to be chivalrous._ “Well, if we slowly work our way up to that?”

Stephen nodded. “I can do that. It’ll mean hitting the brakes more than once, I’m sure, but it’ll be worth it not to ruin this, whatever it is.”

Darcy grinned. “Really good chemistry?”

“I think it’s more than that,” he murmured. “I think destiny is involved.”

Her face fell. “I doubt that – you’re a sorcerer and an Avenger, I’m just a lowly lab monkey.”

He pulled her closer, murmuring, “You’re not ‘just’ anything, Darcy Lewis. You have a magnificent future ahead of you, I can only hope I’m part of it.”

She smirked. “Well, unless you plan on leaving New York anytime soon, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll be part of it.”

Stephen grinned. “Deal.” He paused for a moment. “It would be a bad idea to ask you to stay the night, wouldn’t it?”

Darcy’s smile softened. “That depends on how good you are at resisting temptation.”

“Normally, I’m great at it, but when a woman I’m very attracted to is in my bed, I have to say my will to resist her is crumbling.” He raised one trembling hand to stroke her cheek. “Is it too much to ask for you to come back tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow’s Saturday, you can have me all day if you want.”

Stephen grinned. “**Now** I feel like a starving man given a feast.”

She chuckled then softly kissed his cheek, reveling in his quiet gasp, his blue-green eyes staring at her. “To hold you over until tomorrow,” she murmured as she got out of bed. “Goodnight, Stephen.”

“Goodnight, Darcy,” he murmured, still looking dazed. Finally, he pulled himself together long enough to grab his sling ring and form a portal to her living room.

The last thing she saw before the portal closed were his breathtaking eyes. _God, I’m in so much trouble._ She grinned. _And I wouldn’t change a thing._

* * *

Once the portal was closed, Stephen flopped back onto the bed, groaning quietly. He could still feel Darcy everywhere. Even though they had been almost completely covered, it felt like she had seeped into his skin, setting the nerves alight and making her way into his heart. _God, I’m poetic tonight._

Where he felt her the strongest was his cheek. He raised one hand up to touch where she had kissed him. In that moment, Stephen wanted nothing more than to bring Darcy back to the Sanctum and make love to her. _No, she deserves to be romanced properly. Until then, I need to keep my hormones in check._

Eventually, he fell asleep with Darcy still on his mind.


End file.
